New year's Resolutions for Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
by Susan Dunn
Making resolutions means resolving to do something, committing
to do something. In Emotional Intelligence terms this is
called Intentionality. It means saying what you mean, and
meaning what you say. What are your intentions for your
life this coming year? What do you intend to do to make
this happen?
1. Put your resolutions in writing. Show them to
someone - spouse, friend, coach. Post them on the office
wall, refrigerator and dashboard. Send a copy to your coach.
2. Make a list of names and addresses of people
you can promote your business to. You don't have to start
an ezine yet, or do a direct snail-mailing, but start making
the list. Resolve to increase the list you already have
by 100%. Everywhere you go, get names, business cards, email
addresses.
3. For marketing, be at least 6 weeks ahead in your
mind. In December, you should be thinking about Valentine's
promotions, and have Easter already in your mind. Think
your services or products can't be promoted this way? I
just got back from my dentist's where I saw a stand with
brochures for TOOTH WHITENING. One of them said "Fall into
a whiter smile," and was decorated with fall leaves. The
one next to it had Christmas graphics and said, "Tooth whitening
makes a great gift for someone you love." Have I made my
point? If you're a coach, offer a special on relationship
coaching for Valentine's. If you run a nursery, have a special
on Valentine topiary.
4. Revamp your website. Yes, the Internet moves
fast and the styles come and go quickly. Take time to research
websites of your competition, and see what's new out there.
Websites should be revamped every 6-12 months.
5. Resolve to learn something new. Whatever your
field, learning something new is the best way to keep yourself
growing and on the competitive edge. Learn how to do your
own website, learn how to create an ezine, learn a new language,
take an accounting course, get an MBA. Do everything you
can to increase your knowledge; it will make you more profitable,
more marketable, and more desirable in today's market climate.
6. Increase your emotional intelligence. Chances
are you're on top of the skills and knowledge in your field.
If you're a doctor or therapist, you take the mandatory
continuing education. If you're in business, you're adding
an MBA or taking advantage of the great online and weekend
degree opportunities. But are you increasing your emotional
intelligence? It accounts more for your success and happiness
than your IQ. It accounts for the majority of promotions
and firings. Take an Internet course and get coaching in
emotional intelligence. It crosses all categories and fields,
benefiting both your work and personal life.
7. Make your last resolution -- TAKE ACTION! Writing
down your resolutions will trigger your innate goal-accomplishment
drives, but taking action is essential. Take action on every
resolution within 30 days after writing them.
8. Get organized. Use an Accountability System for
your resolutions! Accountability Systems work. I use the
Gooding Accountability System myself and for my clients.
For most of us it's the initial organization and then tracking
the follow-through. The more you've got going on, the more
there is to keep track of. An Accountability System makes
this easy for you. Use one for your resolutions.
9. You can make your resolutions general as long
as you include incremental action steps as subpoints. If
your list reads Lose Weight, Make More Money, and Find a
Wife you're being so vague you're defeating the purpose.
It isn't a WISH LIST, it's a list of things you intend to
accomplish. Make that "Lose 20 lbs. by April 1 by exercising
30 minutes every day, eating less than 100 grams of fat
a day, eliminating sweets" and whatever else will get you
to your goal.
10. Compare your list to last year's list. If it's
the same, you're in trouble and you need to face up to it.
Something isn't working for you, and if you keep doing what
you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been
getting. If you've had "Find a Career I Love" for 3 years
in a row, deal with it. Either acknowledge you're not going
to do it, and take it off your list, or marshall the forces
you need to make it happen - get a coach, for instance.
There's nothing more demoralizing than a goal you never
achieve.
About the Author
Susan Dunn may be contacted at http://www.susandunn.cc
, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching
to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships,
midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting.
EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach
certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is
widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker
for cruise lines.
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